Eugene is used to hosting big track and field events. But what does coming to Track Town mean to the thousands of visitors here for the NCAA Championships?
The first day of competition was sunny and warm. Most newcomers to Track Town USA complemented Oregon's natural beauty:
Mareno: "Lavonne Mareno, I'm from Corpus Christie Texas. We love the trees. Eugene is awesome."
Hamilton: "Fisher Hamilton from Lake Charles Louisiana. It's beautiful. I didn't know it was going to be this pretty I knew it was going to be awesome but it's unreal, it really is."
Other visitors appreciated the uniqueness of Hayward Field:
O'Connor: "George O'Connor from Croswell Michigan. It's remarkable to have this many track fans. You know when people clap for every athlete as they run out front, you just don't get that in Michigan."
The University of Oregon earned two national titles. Freshman Edward Cheserek finished first in the 10K and sophomore Jenna Prandini won the long jump. Both athletes will compete again later in the week. The NCAA Championships continue through Saturday.
